Today we’re making a no-bake cheesecake using durian, a wonderful exotic fruit known as the “king of fruits” in Thailand. If you like the uniquely sweet and aromatic taste of durian, this durian cream cake will become your new favorite dessert!
Durians are large, thorn-covered fruits with a creamy, yellow flesh. Native to Southeast Asia, they’re used to make jam, ice cream, cakes, and other desserts—and they’re perfect for a tropical cheesecake!
Known for its strong smell, durian has an intense, unusual flavor that combines sweet and savory notes. And when it’s fully ripe, its flesh is so creamy it almost feels like a pudding.
Durian tastes like ripe bananas and almonds mixed with cream cheese and chives. So unique, yet incredibly good, it adds loads of flavor to this cheesecake!
Depending on the size of the fruit, you will need about one or two pieces of durian for the cheesecake.
We recommend choosing the softest pieces of fruit when purchasing from your local Asian grocery store. Ripe durian will be sweet, creamy, and fruity, and you’ll get the best results.
Since durian puree is super creamy, we used it to replace cream cheese in the cheesecake mix. We also swapped the classic whipped cream for silken tofu and thickened it with a little agar powder.
The result is a dairy-free, low-fat, and completely vegan durian cheesecake. And if you use sugar-free erythritol instead of powdered sugar, the durian cake is also low in sugar. Impressively!
Now it’s time to gather the ingredients and make this wonderful durian cheesecake together!
And if you enjoyed this recipe, you’ll love these Hong Kong-Style Durian Oatmeal Cookies and Durian Pancakes!